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Monday, October 20, 2008

Ask a Korean! News: The State of Organized Racism in America

New York Times reports that hate groups so far have been mostly quiet during this election that features a black man running for president. But apart from the main message, this quote attracted the Korean's attention:

“There’s a real problem,” Mr. White said in the interview last month, “in what’s called the ‘white movement.’ One, there’s a lot of people who are just mentally ill, and we deal with those a lot. No. 2, there are people who have serious sexual problems.”

So according to Mr. White, a lot of organized racists are mentally ill or have sexual problems. It is great news -- organized racism has been marginalized in America to the extent that the ratio of mentally ill people within its ranks has become a real problem.

But on whose authority does Mr. White speak? Well, turns out Bill White is a very knowledgeable source in this area, given that he is only the head of American National Socialist Workers Party, i.e. the American Nazi party. Oh, and just to prove his street cred, he also is now in custody on the suspicion of trying to harm a juror in a hate crime trial.

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@hotmail.com.

Great news, but is this sort of extremism really relevant? The kind of racism that is really worrisome and seems to be all over the place without lending itself to accurate measure is the sort that says I don't care about a candidates race and then go on to say with a straight face that mixing of the races is not a good idea, as reported in the below times article. Or maybe this sort of confusion about one's beliefs is a sign that things are improving and on the right track? I dunno.

Its highly unlikely race will play a major impact in the election. It appears Obama is someone who can break the racial boundaries and bring people together. And Mccain choosing Palin as his running-mate may have single handidly given the election to Obama.

I am going tobe presumptious and state Obama will be our net president. Having said that, do you think he should be worried about his life? I read somewhere that these mentally ill racial groups may attempt to assinate him.

I really hope not, because I see Obama as someone who can and will change fundamentals of America; meaning how we act and think as a people, such as ideas, beliefs, etc.

Given the startling racist tenor that seems to pop up in every handicam video on YouTube of people yelling stuff at Obama supporters, of people yelling at Republican rallies, of people explaining why Obama is a big mistake... I'm not convinced that the card-carrying racists are the ones to be worried about.

Granted I've been outside the States for a while, but it seems that regular-folks-conservatives have just completely lost it this go around.

One of these days, I won't be disappointed by my countrymen. But I'm sure not holding my breath.

This just proves that it has become socially awkward to be outwardly racist -not that racism itself is any less prevalent. America has a long way to go still. For that matter, so does just about every other country in the world.

So uhh, I guess my point was, since these nutjobs are and have been irrelevant for quite some time, any news about them is sort of irrelevant too? (Is that what you call a tautology?)Unless of course you have some particular interest in them to begin with as an object of cultural study.

Anyways....I still can't believe McCain went with Palin. The incompetence and lack of judgement is quite literally unbelievable.

To be sure, the Korean is not suggesting that organized racism is the only relevant concern in American politics. In fact, as jw pointed out, organized racism has been pretty irrelevant for quite some time. American politics unequivocally moved past organized racism, and it is the more subtle forms of racims that is the main problem facing America today.

However, given that organized racism is the most virulent form of racism, a proof of its marginalization is always a welcome sight. Progress is still progress.

Having lived in the States for almost 20 years, racism in America is less pervasive than it was 20 years ago -- Obama running for President is a good evidence of progressive chage towards racism and race in America.

Going back to Palin. Can you believe she went to 6 different undergraduate colleges. According to her bio., she majored in Journalism and Communication from a school in Idaho. I think a few of these colleges were actually community colleges.

Geez. Americans, please wake up. Palin, at best, is an average Jane who is lucky to be a Governor. Now, I am not trying to discount her intellectual capacity, but going to all these colleges is simply unacceptable. Escpecially, if one for aspires to become a President.

I have a advice for her: with her education background, she should aspire to a commissioner of a minor league hockey league in Canada. Just like Russia, she should know Canada very well, considering she can see Canada from Alaska!!!! :-) She is so lame!!!

Should Palin become president, I think American will digress even further to right wing, christian views. And America simply does not need any of nonsense, religious rhetoric anymore.

My point being is that we don't should not select an average President, again -- I think President Bush taught all of us a valuable lesson in the last 8 years.

On the other hand, Obama went to Columbia and Harvard, respectively. These insititutions of higher learning are without a doubt one of the finest colleges in America; the latter of which he graduated with a J.D magna cum laude. Furthermore, he graduated without receiving finacial assistance from his parents. If I remember correctly, I read somewhere that he now just paid off his student loans. If you don't think Obama is fit to run this country, then you are probably a member of the K.K.K...

I've been following the campaign fairly closely, and I don't believe I've seen Obama's campaign use the race card to gain support.

Do you have any evidence you can provide to support your claim?

I read on CNN.com that there is a Nazi group somewhere in West Virginia that is attempting to organize a rally against Obama.

As much as we would like to wish complete dissemination of organized racism in America, I highly doubt this is acheivable -- America is just too individualitic. America make me feel as if I am not 100% "American" sometimes. I don't know if other bloggers feels same way as I do.

I've experienced racism first-hand when I was living in rural-america for a few years. The idiot thought that I was an Egyptian, and started calling me with racial epithets that wasnt applicable.

The Korean would like to ask you two to stop going down this road. The Korean generally tolerates some out-of-topic discussion, but he is definitely not willing to have a flamewar about race and the presidential election just yet. There will be some other time for that.

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About TK

The Korean is a Korean American living in Washington D.C. / Northern Virginia. He lived in Seoul until he was 16, then moved to Los Angeles area. The Korean refers to himself in the third person because he thinks it sounds cool.